The present invention relates to an apparatus for driving an oil pump arranged in a radially spaced relation to an input shaft of an automatic transmission.
Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. 2003-156130 describes an oil pump driving arrangement. In this document, a drive sprocket is disposed on an outer periphery of a torque converter sleeve, and a driven sprocket is disposed on an oil pump. The drive sprocket and the driven sprocket are connected with each other via a chain, so that the oil pump is driven by a driving force transmitted from an engine thereto via the chain. In the conventional arrangement, the torque converter sleeve is disposed so as to allow a slight displacement thereof in the axial direction because a converter cover is expanded due to the temperature rise or pressure of an oil within the torque converter. Therefore, the torque converter sleeve is engaged with the drive sprocket so as to be slightly axially moveable relative thereto.